Installing the HomeCare 32x60 follows every universal Ella step, from leveling to the pre-installation water test to leaving service access, and then adds a handful of tasks that no other Ella tub has: a faucet spout that passes through the top deck, an 80 gallon fast-fill tank with its own drain, two power cords that go to GFCI-protected power, and a sensor-driven fill system that should be tested in front of the caregiver before the installer leaves.

Before the Crate Opens

The HomeCare is designed exclusively for assisted bathing and is not intended for self-bathing. Use should always be supervised by a caregiver or trained professional, and that warning is printed on the documentation. Plan the room around the door: the aluminum outward-swing door has a two-latch locking mechanism, is 27 inches wide and swings a full 180 degrees, with a total clearance envelope of 103 3/4 inches shown on the drawing. The tub's actual size is 31 1/2 inches wide, 59 7/8 inches long and 41 3/8 inches tall; it ships in a crate 39 by 49 by 63 inches at about 366 pounds, with a net weight of about 250 pounds depending on the package. Remove the front apron, its access panel and the end panel before carrying it inside, and lift by the frame only. See the installation planning checklist for general requirements and the HomeCare profile for the feature list.

Leveling and the Front Legs

The subfloor must be level and rated for the tub, the water and the bather. All leveling legs must touch the floor with equal weight, tightened firmly with no gap under any leg, and the HomeCare instructions add that the front legs must be screwed to the subfloor for stability. An unlevel tub warps the frame, misaligns the door and voids the warranty. Extending or shortening legs is how a door-to-frame gap is corrected. Follow the leveling guide before any plumbing is connected.

Installation Steps Unique to the HomeCare

1. Faucet spout through the deck. Insert the spout through the hole in the top deck, put silicone on the threads and hand-tighten the 2 1/4 inch ring fastener. Silicone the threads on the plumbing fittings under the tub and hand-tighten those as well. The faucet is a one-piece wall-mount fast-fill style rated up to 18 gallons per minute at 60 psi under ideal plumbing, with a hand-held shower on a slider bar.
2. Tank drain. The water tank drain outlet is 1/2 inch. Connect it to the bathroom drain, preferably with a tee fitting that serves both the bathtub drain and the tank drain. A drain solenoid valve empties any remaining tank water automatically after the tank system has been off for one hour, and an air respirator valve vents air during filling and admits air during draining so the tank never pulls a vacuum.
3. Water supply. Two 5 foot braided 3/4 inch supply lines are included, one hot and one cold. Connect them to shut-off valves, which are not included, so the tank system can be isolated for service.
4. Tub drain. Run a 2 inch drain pipe to the household drain. The tub has one 2 inch pop-up drain with a cable-controlled stopper and a built-in air vent, plus a separate hydro massage drain controlled by the DRAIN switch. House-drain routing is covered in plumbing and drain configurations.
5. Power. The water tank system cord is grey and the hydro massage pump cord is black. The documentation calls for 20 amp dedicated GFCI-protected line(s) at 115 to 120 volts, installed and tested by a licensed electrician, including the GFCI itself. Both the tank pump and the hydro pump are rated 9 amps, so have your electrician confirm the circuit count from the spec sheet. Keep any electric appliance at least 3 feet from the tub.

How the Tank Thinks, and What to Test

The 80 gallon tank measures 28 1/2 by 44 1/2 inches and 17 inches deep, and it fills through an inlet solenoid valve that opens when the tank system is on and closes at the set level. A thermostatic mixing valve sets the tank temperature from a rotary control. Four sensors run the logic: low (stops filling three seconds after water drops below it), mid (injection only runs above it), high (automatic fill shut-off) and a temperature sensor that feeds the keypad display. Tank filling and water injection can never run at the same time; starting one disables the other. The system shuts itself off after one hour, and after one hour off the drain program empties the tank.

Before handing over, have the installer run this sequence with the caregiver watching:

1. Turn the tank system on and confirm the blue keypad backlight and the level indicator blinking from bottom to top as the tank fills. Under ideal plumbing the tank takes about 11 minutes to fill.
2. Confirm the fill stops on its own at the high sensor.
3. Close the door, press the injection button and confirm the tub fills from the tank in about 90 seconds while the indicator blinks from top to bottom. Yellow means the tank level is between the mid and high sensors; red means it is between the low and minimum sensors.
4. With all jets covered, run the hydro massage and the DRAIN switch, then time the tub drain, which is about 150 seconds under normal conditions.
5. Explain the one-hour auto shut-off and the one-hour self-drain so nobody is surprised when the tank empties by itself.

Complete the universal 30 minute static and 30 minute running water test before the walls are closed, exactly as described in the pre-installation water test.

Finishing and Options

The HomeCare has a flat deck, so tile or wall panels overlap an aftermarket tile flange like any Ella tub. Do not pack insulation around the tank or pump equipment, and leave code-required access to plumbing and electrical connections. An optional wall-mount waterfall faucet with a 24 inch slider and hand-held shower is available, rated at a maximum of 11.9 gallons per minute, and a heated seat and backrest can be added; ask your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 about either option for your order.

This overview shows the HomeCare tank concept from the caregiver's side: the temperature is preset, the internal tank fills at the touch of a button and stops on its own, the bather enters and closes the door, and the fill button empties the tank into the tub in less than 90 seconds.

Common Questions

Questions about a specific HomeCare installation are welcome: open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support/new or call (800) 480-6850, and our technical team is glad to talk through the drawings with your installer.